Municipal signaling



(No Model.)

M. MARTIN.

MUNICIPAL SIGNALING.

No. 880,655. Patented Apr. 3, 1888.

UNiTnn STATES i ATENT m nce,

MORRIS MARTIN, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MUNICI- PAL SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MUNlCIPAL SIGNALING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,655, dated April 3, 1888.

(No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MoRRis MARTIN, of Malden, Middlesex county, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mnnicipal Signaling Apparatus, of which the following description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to municipal signal apparatus which may be used as an auxiliary to the police service of a city or town by establishing communication between a main oflice or policestation and sub stations or sigrial-boxes on the streets.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus that will meet all the requirements for service of this kind, the said apparatus containing means by which authorized citizens can summon police aid to the boxes and means for indicating which citizen has transmitted a call, so as to deter citizens from transmitting unnecessary calls. The signal-boxes also contain telephones for the purpose of affording telephonic communication between the main office and the officers or other parties authorized to open the boxes, and they also contain means by which an officer on coming to a box can 0 ascertain directly without opening the box whether or not anything is wanted of him at the main office. The fact that the office may at any time be signaled from the main office is an inducement to the oflicer to Visit the boxes 5 regularly, as he is aware that if he fails to respond to a signal that may be awaiting him his neglect will be discovered.

The invention consists, mainly, in the novel construction and arrangement of the circuit 0 and instruments therein and mechanical appliances for operating said instruments by which the various objects are attained.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a signal-box forming part of an apparatus embodying this 5 invention; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, details showing the construction and operation of the key or device by which citizens provided with said keys can transmit the signal or call to the main office without opening the signal-box; Fig. 5, a detail of an ofiicers signaling-key; Fig. 6, a

detail of the device for operating a telephone call at a box, and Fig. 7 a diagram showing the arrangement of the circuit andinstruments therein.

The signalbox a,which may be of any suitable or usual construct-ion resembling the wellknown fire alarm telegraph-boxes,contains an automatic signal-transmitting device, b,which may consist of a break-wheel and contactspring operated by a clock-work ormotor precisely like those employed in the well-known fire-alarm and districttelegraph systems, the said break-wheel being notched to produce breaks in the circuit controlled by it,and thus making a nu mber-si gnal correspondingto each box and showing the locality to which assistance is to be sent, in the same manner as in fire-alarm telegraphs.

The construction of the break-wheel motor, being well known, is not shown in detail; but the means for winding and operating the said motor is believed to be novel.

The actuating-shaft c, that is acted upon by the motive weight or spring and transmits the motive power to the clock-work by means of a ratchet and pawl in the usual manner, is provided with an arm, cl, which, when pressedthe proper amount, moves the ratchet ahead one tooth or notch with relation to the pawl and winds the spring, so that when the said. arm (1 is released it willbe moved back by the spring and turn the train of wheels with it a sufficient amount to cause one or more complete rotations of the break-wheel, the said arm d thus being like the usual crank or winding handle of a, district-telegraph box. The said arm d is engaged by a projection, e, on a slide-bar, e, which may be provided with a finger-piece, e to be engaged by the operator when the boxdoor is open, and is also connected by a link, e', to one arm of a lever, f, pivoted at f, and having its other arm, f made cam-shaped and located over a key-hole, g, in the box in such position that akey having a bit of proper length when inserted in the said key-hole and rotated will move the lever and thus depress the slide-bar e. As the arm (2 moves in the are of a circle, while the engaging projection 6 moves in a straight line, the said projection, after acertain movement which is suf- 10o ficient to advance the ratchet of the motor one tooth or notch, will disengage the said arm d and permit it to run back with the motor during the rotation of the break-wheel. In order to prevent the winding-arm d from being acted upon during its return movement, and thus checking the movement of the motor and intert'ering with the signal, the Winding slidebar 6 is locked during the return movement of the arm d by a locking device, shown as a sliding bolt, 71, acted upon by a spring, h, which throws it over the upper end of the slide-bar 6 when the latter is depressed, thus preventing return movement of the said slide bar untilreleased bysaid locking device,which takes place only when the arm d has completed its return movement, just at the end of which an arm, (2, thereon acts upon the locking device h and disengages it from the slide-bar e, which is then returned by a spring, 6 to its normal position. In order to permit the projection e to pass the arm at in the return movement of the slide-bar e, the said slide-bar is arranged to have a sufficient lateral movement in its guides 6 and is acted upon by a spring, e, that throws the projection 6 into engagement with the arm d after the projection has passed the said arm in its upward movement.

The winding-leverfis so arranged with relation to the keyhole 9 that a key of proper size to fit thesaid key-hole, having a plain bit, will operate the said lever and wind and release the motor; but a key having a shorter bit will not produce sufiicient movement to wind the motor, but will merely spring the arm d down partway and then releaseit again. It is intended to distribute keys to responsible citizens and to number each key thus given out and make a recordof the number and name of the person to whom the key is given.

In order to show by which key an alarm has been transmitted, the bits of the said keys are made in two parts, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the end of the bit being made separately from the body, connected therewith by a dovetail or similar joint that will permit the end portion, 7a, to slip out from the main portion k by a movement parallel with the shank or spindle of the key K. Both the main portion of the key and removable end portion, 7c,of its bit bear the registered number of the key, as shown, and it requires the combined length of both parts of the key to operate the lever f so as to wind the box. At the keyhole the box is provided with a stop, on, shown as a pivoted spring-pressed piece which yields to permit the insertion of the entire key into the box, and then springs up behind the removable portion 7a of the key-bit, so that when the key is withdrawn the said portion of the bit will be stripped off from the main portion and left in the box, thus indicating which key has been used, and also disabling the said key, so that it cannot again be used until the removable indicating portion is replaced. The key is not, however, disabled until it is withdrawn from the box, and may be used to repeat the signal as often as desired.

If a citizen after transmitting a call waits without withdrawing the key until an ofiicer responds to the call, the officer can open the box and release the removable or indicating portion of the key, or if the key has already been removed from the box the indicating portion may be taken from the box and returned to the key-holder.

The herein-described method of leaving a portion of the key in the box to indicate which key has been used, and at the same time disabling the key, has several important advantages over the method in which the entire key is retained in the box until released by an ofiicer provided with means for effecting such release. \Vhen the entire key is retained and no means are provided for the prevention of breaking in upon a message-an evil-disposed person might, by turning the key during the transmission of the message, break up or distort the said message so that it could not be read correctly, while by the key of the kind herein shown the citizen, after he has once turned the key to send the message, can at the same time remove and disable the key so that no one can subsequently use it.

The signalbox a, in addition to the automatic transmitter for telegraphic messagesj ust described, contains a signal receiving instrument, S, (shown as a tap'bell,) and a telephone, T, which may be normally shunted by its supporting-hook t, in the usual manner; and the box also has a circuit-closer, 1), preferably operated by a button, p, from the outside of the box, for the purpose of operating the signal S, as hereinafter described. The box containsa circuit-breaker, a, which is operated when it is desired to signal the main office or call the attendant there to the telephone without sending in the number of the box.

The operation of the parts for transmitting and producing the signals may be best understood by reference to Fig. 5, that shows in diagram the circuits and instruments therein.

The main circuit is wholly metallic and connected at 2 with one pole of the main battery B, from which it passes through a receivingrelay, 1', that controls a local circuit containing a register, R. The relay r also controls an indicating-instrument, S which may be a vibrating bell, that when once set in operation by the closing of its circuit by the relay 1 when the main line is once broken closes the local circuit through its actuatingmagnet, and thus remains in operation until stopped by the attendant. From the relay r the line is continued, as shown at 3, to the different boxes or stations, where it includes the break wheels b and telephones T when not shunted by their gravity-switches t, and returns to the other pole of the main battery, as shown at 4. The actuating-magnet n of the signal S is in a normally-open branch, 5, from the main line 3, the said branch containing the circuitcloserp, by which it may be connected with the ground. If one of the ground branches containing the magnet n of the signal S is closed, but the line is then grounded at no other point,

no effect is produced onthe said signal S. If, however, the attendant at the main office wishes to summon an officer, he will place a ground-connection on the line, preferaby by a grounded branch, 7, which is connected with the main line at one side of the main battery B, and includes a switch, 8, and, preferably, an alarm-instrument, S, which may be a vibra' tor, the armature of which vibrates at such rate that the armature of the tap-bell S will naturally accompany it when both are in circuit together, as is the case when both earth branches 5 and 7 are closed at the same time. The closing of the earth branch 7 by the attendant at the main office will not affect the line or instruments therein as long as all the other branches remain open, but as soon as an officer arrives at one of the boxes and closes the earth branch by the push-button p a groundcircuit will be afforded including the magnets of both instruments S and S which will both be set in operation, thus indicating to the officer at the box that the attendant at the main office desires to communicate with him, and also indieating to the attendant. at the main office that the officer has just arrived at a box and received his signal, and both will immediately proceed to the telephone. Should two officers happen to close their earth branches simultaneously when the branch 7 at the main omce was not closed, they would complete an earthcircuit through the signaling-instruments S at both boxes, but the pulls would only give a single tap, so that the omcers would know that they were not signaled from the main office. If necessary, resistance will be placed in the main line, as shown at R, beyond thejunction of the earth branch 7, in order to cause asufticient portion of the current to pass through the earthcircuit to operate thesignals Sand S It may be desirable for the officers to summon aid without opening the box, and for this purpose they will also be provided with keys K, (see Fig. 5,) to operate the pull-leverf, the same as the citizens keys K, and as there is no need of leaving a record when the box is operated by an oiiicer, and as the officers key should never be disabled, it need not have a detachable bit; and in order to permit the key to be readily withdrawn the bit is beveled, as shown at if, Fig. 5, so that it will depress the catch-piece m, and may be removed without difficulty, and also without disabling it for future use.

The officer may sometimes desire to communicate with the main office by telephone without summoning aid, and the boxes are provided with means for operating a signal which will be known as a telephone-call. This is shown as effected by the circuit-breaker a, included in the main circuit, the movable member of which circuit-breaker is normally pressed by a spring, a, against the co-operating stationary member, and is actuated to produce a momentary break in the circuit by a push-button, if, the shank of which has a sliding movement in a guide, if, and is prosaid movable member, which is at once restored to the normal position, closing the circuit, by the spring it. hen the push-button is released and returned to its normal position by a spring, ti the cross-piece turns on its pivot to permit its end to pass the movable member of the circuit-closer, which it does without again breaking the circui t. The depression of the push-button u thus causes a single break in the circuit ofshort duration sufficient to act on the-relay r at the main office and set the signal S in operation; but as the operation of said signal will not be accompanied by a message on the register B it will be understood as a call to the telephone and not a call for aid.

The telephonic instruments at the main office are not shown, as they are of usual character, and may be switched into or out from any of the circuits coming into the officein any usual manner.

The usual magnctotelephoncs may be employed at the boxes and used both for trans mitting and receiving, thus avoiding the necessity of maintaining a locatbattery circuit at each box. 7

Instead of placing the breakwheel lb directly in circuit, as shown, it may be in a branch of low resistance around a considerable resistance, (indicated in dotted lines at B Fig. 7,) and thus operate by changing the current strength without wholly opening the circuit, and in such construction the circuitcloser u might be in the same low-resistance branch around the resistance R as the breakwheel 1/, or it might be, ifdesired, in themain circuit and operate a second relay at the main office not affected by the changes in the current strength controlling a local circuit containing an indicating-instrunient similar to the one S. All such arrangements are well known and not specifically claimed as a part ot' the present invention, which consists, mainly, in the means for operating the transmitter-motor and in the arrangement of the signaling-instruments in the earth branches. I wish it to be understood that I consider any of the well known transmitting devices having a notched or equivalent circuit-controlling surface and means to actuate it or its cooperating member, so as to automatically produce a definite series of changes in circuit,to be equivalent of the break-wheel and motor, which is merely shown as illustrating a simple, convenient,

and familiar form of automatic transmitter.

I claim 1. A signal-box containing the following elements in combination: an automatic transmitter having acircuit-controlling surface and detachable indicating portion and a catch for said detachable portion, wherebythe latter is removed from the key when the key is withdrawn from the box, the said key, when in the box, engaging and operating the automatic transmitting device, substantially as described.

3. A signal-box and automatic transmitting device therein, combined with a key composed of a main portion and detachable indicating portion co-operating with the transmitting device, as described, the entire key being capable of operating the transmitting device, while the main portion alone is insufficient to operate the transmitting device, and a catch that retains the detachable portion of the key when the main portion is removed from the box, substantially as described.

4. In a municipal signal system, the combination, substantially as described, of an electric circuit, a main office or receiving-station containing a receivingrelay and an indicating Signal, a series of signal-boxes each contain-v ing a signal-transmitting device, and also an independenthand-operated circuit-controlling device consisting of two pivoted levers, a con tact-point for each lever, and apush-button to move the other lever in contact with its contact-point and to disengage the first lever from its contact-point, substantially as described.

5. In a municipal signal system, the combination, substantially as described, of an electric circuit, a main office or receiving-station containinga receiving-relay, a register, and an indicating-signal, a series of signal-boxes each containing a signaltransmitting device, and also an independent hand-operated circuit-controlling device consisting ot' a lever, a, spring to, and a push-button having a pivoted lever, u, and spring.

6. In a municipal signal system, the combination, substantially as described, of an electric circuit, a main office or receiving-station containing a receiving-relay, a register, and an indicatingsignal, a series of signal-boxes each containing a signal-transmitting device, and also an independent hand-operated circuit-controlling device accessible from the exterior of the box, as described, said circuitcontrolling device being constructed and arranged to momentarily change the condition of the circuit when operated.

7. Atelegraph apparatus comprisinga series of stations and metallic circuit connecting the same and normally-open earth branches at the said stations, anda switch at one station, by which one of theearth branches at said station maybe closed,and'normally-open circuit-closers and signaling-instruments in theearth branches at the other stations, whereby an earth-circuit may be established through the said signaling instrument if the switch is closed at the other station, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. Atclegraph apparatus comprising a main station and series of sub-stations and metallic circuit connecting the same, combined with normally-open earth branches at all the said stations and a switch and vibrator in the earth branch at the main station, and a normally-open circuit-closer and tap-bell in the earth branches at the sub-stations, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A signal-box and a transmitting device therein, combined with a key for effecting the operation of the transmitting device, said key having a detachable portion which is left in the box when the key is withdrawn therefrom, substantially as described.

10. A signal-box and a transmitting device therein, combined with a key for effecting the operation of the transmitting device, said key being numbered and having a corresponding numbered detachable portion which is left in the box when the key is withdrawn, whereby a particular key which has been employed to operate the transmitting device may be detected, substantially as described.

11. A signal-transmitter, a motor mechanism, a winding device for the motor mechanism, and an actuating device for the winding device, combined with a spring controlled slide-bar, h, which engages and holds the act uating devices during the time the motor is running, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofIhave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' MORRIS MARTIN.

\Vitnesses:

J os. P. LIVERMORE, J As. J. MALONEY.

IIO 

